NDP pitches sweeping changes to C-51

The experts have had their say at the National Security committee studying Bill C-51, the Conservatives’ divisive anti-terror legislation. Now the New Democrats say they’re ready to take an axe to it — if the government will let them.

NDP Public Safety critics Randall Garrison and Rosane Doré Lefebvre announced their list of proposed amendments this morning. Committee testimony finished last night and a clause-by-clause reading of the bill begins Tuesday.

“The testimony that we heard certainly confirmed what we’ve said from the beginning — that this is a dangerous and ineffective bill that should not be adopted,” said Garrison.

“We hope, after the kind of testimony we heard at committee and the unanimity of the witnesses in calling for improvements of the bill, that the government would be considering some amendments.”

By the New Democrats’ count, 45 of the 48 witnesses recommended the bill either be “seriously amended or scrapped, and this included groups one would normally expect would support the Conservatives” said Garrison.

The New Democrats are categorizing their 32 amendments in three sections: those that delete provisions that undermine rights and freedoms, those that add other provisions to balance the bill, and those that limit the bill’s scope.

Of the provisions they want lopped off, the controversial new disruption powers given to CSIS will be the biggest — and the hardest to eliminate. The government has been adamant that those new powers are necessary to respond to urgent terrorist threats.

Critics of the bill fear that by giving the intelligence agency policing powers, Canada will see a repeat of abuses committed by the RCMP in the 1960s and 70s, which ultimately led to CSIS’s creation.

The New Democrats want to drop two other provisions of the bill: the lowered threshold for preventative detention and the introduction of an offence that, according to a party media release, “lumps dissent with violent extremism.” The latter provision is viewed with deep alarm by the bill’s opponents, who warn that it will be abused to target environmentalists and First Nations protestors.

The party also wants more robust oversight written into the bill — in the form of an oversight body and through the reinstatement of the position of CSIS inspector general. The Liberals have called for a parliamentary oversight body; the New Democrats are calling for a committee to examine best options for oversight.

“What we’ve heard from testimony and virtually all of the witnesses … oversight is very complex,” said Garrison.

“So we’re calling for a parliamentary committee, which will look at the broader question of how do we improve parliamentary oversight of our national security agencies … not just CSIS, but all of those involved in national security. The Liberals have chosen what I would call ‘one horse in the race’, while we’re saying that the question is very complex and (we) would like to have all parties work together to figure out the best way to do parliamentary oversight.”

The NDP is also calling for a new federal government office focusing on counter-terrorism and anti-terror community outreach, to be reviewed after three years.

And to limit the scope of the bill, the NDP wants its information sharing provisions to cover terrorism only — to eliminate the risk the bill could be used to persecute activists. They also want to narrow the grounds for listing individuals on no-fly lists and improve the appeal process.

The Liberals announced yesterday that they would still be voting in favour of C-51 but proposed what they call “fundamental” changes to the bill. They’ve submitted 10 amendments — a number Garrison suggested is far too low.